Archives for: June 2002

Yes, the lycopene factor outweighs the agglutination concern in that case. Tomato paste contains far more lycopene than raw tomatoes do, and other foods contain even greater percentages. Follow this link to a list of more high-lycopene foods. :-)

Shea, I’m sorry but I can’t find your other questions... There was a column on questions from a type O woman with your name -- you can find it by using the search term “wedding,” but my questions list doesn't have anything else from a "Shea." Could you send your queries again? Also, if you have both type A and type B genes, you are type AB. If I’m misunderstanding you, please explain a little more about what the doctor or lab told you about your blood type. As far as I know, you'd follow the AB diet. L-glutamine can help for the sugar cravings; generally, they go away over time as your eating habits move away from refined sugars and as your body has a chance to adapt to protein-metabolism. It's tough at first, but gets easier pretty quickly!!

Thanks, Blaine ~ you're very kind! Boron is a bone-builder, one of the trace elements that helps the calcium do its job of mineralizing new bone growth. Other helpers in this regard are selenium, molybdenum, and vanadium... you'll find them all in your Phytocal-A. :-)

Yes, ground ginger is the dried, powdered ginger root. Same thing as to the diet, slightly different properties in cooking. Please let us know when your cookbook is ready for viewing! and thanks for writing!!

At my local farmers’ market last Wednesday was a greens & peppers grower who had about 30 different kinds of peppers for sale. About half looked familiar, and the other half... well.... One variety resembled a tiny, translucent, pale yellow pea ~ its neighbor was a wrinkly blackish-purple thing not an inch long, something like a berry-picker’s thumbprint. Peppers come in every color of the rainbow except blue, and cover the taste range from bite-into-it-like-an-apple to SCREAM FOR MERCY! Happily, the BTD rule here is simple: all types of peppers, whether sweet or hot, of whatever color, shape or size, are avoids for type A secretors and neutral for A nonsecretors. ;->

I hope you're all enjoying the Fall weather (or Spring to our buddies Down Under). Thanks to all of you who keep writing and keep me learning here. ;-D

Q: I am really seeing a lot of the manipulation in our everyday lives. I took my cat to the vet to get a sore on its neck fixed, and they kept me there for two hours. They wanted to give it shots, weight it and a dozen other things, and charge me for all of it.

A: In every area of our lives, the same policies are unfolding. You have little scams, like the people at the top of the pyramid control the food supply, in which they put chemicals and other things that make you sick over the long and short term, and the same people control the pharmaceutical companies that sell us drugs to overcome what the food has done to us. We need to stop getting so impressed with people in positions of power. The higher you go up the pyramid of the medical profession and the educational system, the more indoctrinated you are becoming and the more robotic you become... not more enlightened. The idea that people in professional positions know what they’re doing is an engrained thoughtform, not an actual reality. Most of them don’t.

Now, I feel that the human entity has power beyond our wildest imagination, and that we can overcome all this stuff. We have not come here, incarnated here, just to walk away from this stuff like little sheep. We came here because we knew we could and would make a difference, and any problem thrown at us is solvable. For most problems, the answer is to take away the cause of the problem. But, we are only going to overcome these things if we get into multi-dimensional mode.

We are multi-dimensional spirits. This is why I say that people don’t need to seek enlightenment. You just need to remove the barriers of ignorance. There are people all over the world that are being tricked into think that you have to run around looking for enlightenment. You are it. You are enlightenment.

I read your column a while back about Deflect working on "grain" lectins. Does this mean Deflect has no effect for nonsecretors eating sugar? The few times I've done so, I've always taken extra Deflect. But it doesn't specify anywhere I've looked just why NS people shouldn't have sugar, so I'm unclear as to the rationale behind that. The types of sweeteners allowed change for each NS blood type, too. Can you elucidate on this subject? Thanks! Kathy

You're right: the Deflect products work on lectins only. They contain substances which certain lectins prefer over our tissues ~ the lectins go for the Deflect molecules instead of our joints, skin, etc. Deflect will protect you only from those items which are avoid due to lectins, of which sugar is not one. The types of sweeteners allowed for nonsecretors changes by type, because each type has a slightly different statistical response to refined sugar. Among nonsecretors, O NS's generally have the least tolerance for it, and A NS the most ~ your mileage may vary! these are general guidelines.

Re: "Exercise 4 Everyone" Okay, so I'm resistant. And dumb? Maybe blind? They (and you) talk of 11 minutes a day. Fine. But on the charts there's also a walk or run which seems to add anywhere from 18 minutes to 35 minutes. I can't find anywhere where they discuss this little gem. Is it also to be done every day? (False advertising, LOL!) I must be missing something. Can you enlighten us on that too? Thanks! Kathy

!:-D BUSTED! Well, there was a bit of false advertising involved... but only that these charts were designed for men, not women. LOL! Now don't start shopping for a gun to shoot me! We females will do just fine with the published program, it is very, very gentle and designed so everyone moves at their own pace.

Now, the confusion you're having is the same one I went through, so I'm ideally suited to guide you right along. :-D resistance IS futile, doncha fergit it. >:-E The exercise charts at the Canadian Air Force site have an "either/or/or" at the right side. Either run in place or run a distance or walk. For running in place, they give directions (raise feet at least 4" above floor, 100 paces (for level D-), after 75 paces perform 10 of the "jump & switch's," then the other 25 paces, complete this within 6 minutes). For the run-a-distance, and for the walk, they give distance and time to complete. You need do only one of them, right after doing the other 4 BX (basic exercises).

Each level should be performed for the number of days listed, according to one's age. And even if you've done, say, level D- for the 7 days required for age 40-44 (?), if you cannot complete the entire BX5 within the times allotted, you remain at that level until you can. Once I got the hang of the rather complicated concept, doing the thing became simple & quick, and a great way to start the morning. Hope you enjoy it! :-}

I am a 50 yr old woman with interstitial cystitis. Because of my condition I am limited as far as what I can eat. Do you know any way to tailor the type O diet so that I can participate, also? Now, I am stuck with beef, almond butter, blueberries, and a few other things. I would really like to expand my selection, but so many things cause me pain ... Elaine

Interstitial cystitis is a devastatingly painful condition that until recently had little or no medical recognition or targeted therapy. Because the best of mainstream medicine offers only drugs, surgery, and the avoidance of acid or salty foods and alcohol, none of which has proven widely successful, I will wade in here with our best shot.

Elaine, for now I will try to give recommendations that will work to reduce inflammation generally and heal the bladder specifically. Please correspond with me through email and let me know your views and reactions to these notes.

It would be well worth your while to order the secretor test from this site. The kind of aggressive inflammatory response and membrane-permeation you are experiencing is far more common among nonsecretors, whose digestive-system linings do not produce antigenetic substances to protect us from avid alien organisms as secretors' do. While you may have tested negative for bacteria (many IC patients do), your inflammatory response may be so high that any "non-self-like substance" in your diet can inspire havoc. I would also make absolutely sure of your blood type, since this is necessary in order to receive valid results from the secretor test.

Here is the type O Urinary Tract Health protocol from The BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia, to be used for four weeks (then "mail me in the morning" :-)):

For once I'm not going to push the exercise thing. (hope that gives you a chuckle!) I am going to push the rest and calming activities thing. :-) Anything that makes you feel good IS good. Meditation, yoga, massage, a fantasy novel followed by a nap.

I MOST ESPECIALLY encourage you to get hold of a copy of Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth from your local bookseller or Amazon online, whether new or used, and read it. If you've no energy to wade through all of it at the moment, just skip to page 193: Special Meditation for the Second Chakra. It is designed to heal the bladder, takes two minutes and will astound you.

Additionally ~ can you tolerate...

yellow onions? they contain a multitude of urinary tract healers. Quercetin is the anti-inflammatory found in yellow onions and available cheaply in supplement form. No known interactions or overdose, so if they give you no trouble you can pop 'em all day long. ;-)

beets? they possess potent cleansing/healing properties due to their plant dyes and sugars. Great cooked, or juiced with larger quantities of carrots and celery.

broth made from bones left over from roasted beef, turkey, or fish? It is chock full of collagens, minerals and proteins in solution ~ just the thing for an ailing bladder, as long as you can eat it pain-free.

mineral water? Explore the mineral water site. If you are following a low-salt diet, your electrolyte balance may be suffering. Mineral water is a possible way to begin addressing the deficit.

A health care professional who is willing to work with you along holistic lines would be your best asset at this time. Do browse our Practitioner Registry, use a good search engine like www.alltheweb.com/advanced, and your local phone book to discover candidates in your locality if you do not have a responsive doctor right now.

Elaine, I regret it's taken me so long to respond to your question! I look forward to hearing your replies. Anyone out there with IC who is using complementary means to resolve it, please sing out! I'll make sure there's an update posted here. Best wishes for healing to all!!

Hi, Carmelin ~ you've certainly had your hands full with your little guy's troubles. Couple of things: muscle testing can work for the meal he's about to eat, but you may find the results change even during a single day. I encourage you to get the secretor test for him, just because he's had a hard time and school will add to his stress levels. Use his home meals to get those Beneficials into him. Folic acid, MethylB12, Cortiguard and the full range of type A supplements (Phytocal, Polyflora and Polyvite) may help him, but I'm loath to fill little kids full of supps. Live Right 4 Your Type, pp. 183-189, has all the specific advice I'd feel safe giving you, with an emphasis on stress-reduction. Asthma has its roots in high stress levels, and it's also serious enough that you can get a doctor-ordered diet put in place for him at school. Find a health practitioner who will do this for you. My best wishes to you, and I hope your boy prospers!

I have asked many times, Please help. I am AB and would like to know the Nutritional information for the D'ADAMO AB BAR. Claories, Protein, carb and fat per bar is all I want. I assume there is only one kind of bar for the AB if there are many then just as a rough idea if someone can give me the count for one of them. I have asked the doctor who refered me her and I have aked this question many many times including the sales people over the phone no one is giving me the info. I would assume that this is basic and that this info should be available. Thanking you, Ahmad.

Hi, Ahmad! I don't have that information, either. Let's do this:

ANYONE WHO HAS ONE OF THE AB, A, B OR O BARS IN THEIR POSSESSION, PLEASE WRITE TO ME WITH THE CAL/PROTEIN/CARB/FAT STATS FROM THE LABEL?

I'll report what our readers write in, and if we don't find out that way, I'll order all the bars meself. Either way, I'll be back atcha! ;-)

. . . [I]n the latter book (Lists) on pages 26 & 27, Barley is listed as a "neutral" AND a "to avoid" food for type B's. Why so many typo's? Magie

I'm sorry, Magie! I haven't caught more than a couple typos in the Little Books. FYI, Barley is Neutral for everyone except type Os. :-}

Do you know of any stores that sell organic foods in Mexico City? John

No, but try a websearch for "ORGANIC" using the search term "Mexico City" (as a phrase) and "Retail." I'll bet you'll find a number of candidates.

My question is for a person who is a type A that wants to lose weight on about a 1000 cal diet, what should the percentages be for protein, carbs and fat? Dr. D'Adamo says high carbohydrate but doesn't really explain the amount. Thanks Carol

This is a good question, although it's an uncertain endeavour to put p/c/f percentages into practice since most foods have some of each. 35/45/20 is a decent guideline... but that said, it's the KIND of protein (light on the flesh foods except fish, and not red meat), the KIND of carb (lots of veg and very little grain for weight loss), the KIND of fat (olive, flax, walnut -- not commercial mayonnaise or trans-fats), that these diets emphasize in their type-designed proportions, which do the job. BTW, I think weight loss will come along in a less painful fashion by combining appropriate exercise, water intake, and the portion/frequency tables in Live Right 4 Your Type, than by counting calories... but if it works, do it! :-)

I know the TYPEbase 3 says that Vinegar (Balsamic/White/Red/Rice) is an avoid for Os and that apple cider vinegar is neutral. I just saw a hot sauce product at the store that use cane vinegar. Do you know if cane vinegar is OK for Os? Don

Hi, Don ~ Cane vinegar is an unknown, so technically it's neutral (especially in tiny quantities -- but your hot sauce probably has a bunch in it). Common sense, though, prompts me to note that of the five kinds of vinegar specifically mentioned in our food lists, one is neutral (and only for secretors). That weights the chances against cane vinegar being OK. When even rice vinegar is a no-no, I have little hope that cane vinegar would do better. :-} but keep searching for those compliant products, you've been doing a great job so far!

I was recomended your book as I have M.S. I am type O. I have not eaten meat for 20 yrs and feel physically sick just reading the meat list. I do eat fish and Quorn a Myco-protein meat substitute we have in England. Ingredients listed-Myco-protein,rehydrated egg white, flavourings, No artificial colours or preservatives. Can I continue to eat this? I was amazed how everything droped into place as I was reading your book. Today is the first day of hopefully a healthier life. Thank you. jacqui

Jacqui, I have reservations about recommending quorn. I don't know what kinds of mushrooms are used (some types are avoids) or whether they are organically raised. If your product does not say "organic" or "biologique," and the manufacturer cannot tell you what species of mushrooms are in it, I think you'd do better without it. Further, harmful additives can hide behind the term "flavourings." I, too, was pretty gobsmacked when I first saw the meat list. If it's possible for you, try to add some turkey and a little ground lamb or beef occasionally ~ your tastes may change as your intellect guides your diet. Good luck, and let me know how you're doing!

I have been trying for a while to improve my diet and your database has been a savoir to me as trial and error is quite difficult on my own. In the food list for Type O you have listed litchi as a nut or seed. It is really a fruit. The spelling is correct but are we talking about the same fruit? The litchi I know is white and fleshy,with a thin red-yellow shell and a large pit. Thanks in advance for your time in this matter. Sincerely Esar

Yep, that's the one we're both talking about. :-)

I am type O but don't know if I'm a secretor or non-secretor. I have only been on the diet for 6 days, but I feel horrible. I have no energy, I'm depressed because I can't quickly get something to eat. I don't feel like I want to this anymore, but I'm tired of being overweight. I'm not seeing or feeling any good results. Maybe it's too soon but feeling so tired and having no energy to even go to the store to get food is really frustrating. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. Help!! Chesha

Dear Chesha ~ It can be very hard at first! Your body's in the thick of its adjustment toward protein-digestion and away from grain-addiction. This is a good thing that feels pretty crappy! Here are a few tips: Choose three avoids (wheat, potatoes and milk, perhaps -- or two of them, or one!) and eliminate them, only. After a couple of weeks, choose another avoid to eliminate (or more, if you feel up to it), and so on. Taking it slowly rather than all at once will minimize the detox symptoms. Second, do whatever exercise you can as soon as you get up in the morning (right after a big glass of water). It will brighten your entire day. Third, it's normal to sleep more and need more water in this transition phase. If you're feeling really down, drink a big glass of water or take a nap. Time will do the rest!

I'm Type O, obviously breads and such are avoids. I found a web site that sells bread mix that is wheat free and gluten free. The problem is that it contains "potato starch". I know potatoes are on the avoid, (I even feel silly asking this question) does this include potato starch? I finally got my husband to start the diet with me and it's very hard to please him, and I don't want him to quit. But finding stuff that he can eat, especially on the run, or quickly, (his job doesn't give him much time,if any)is very difficult. I hope you can answer my question soon. Thank you. Rachel

Oh dear... yes, the potato avoid includes potato starch. Cornstarch, same thing. Diamond Organics has a nice selection of organic sprouted breads, and Food for Life's page has a product list on the left ("Natural Food Mill") and a link to retailers on the right. I suggest these two because they offer excellent products, but if you can find 100% rye bread or a local baker who makes spelt or sprouted breads, you're set. Good hunting!

Thank you for all the wonderful information...it has been very useful for me. I have a difficult time with breakfast...I have about 20 lbs. to lose and it has been a killer to drop...I try to eat a low carb, low grain diet...and if I do eat grains...I choose wisely... but at times I get cravings. Just wanted to know, how beneficial in a rice protein powder for Type O+ ?(I don't know my sector yet). Please advise. Thanks once again! Rose

Organic rice protein powder is Neutral, like whole rice. Cravings mean you're extremely sensitive to the food you crave, and may be best off without it until you reach your weight goals and can slowly add back those neutral "craved" foods. Have you tried using nutbutter or hard-boiled egg for your smoothies' protein element? Easier on your system, and will certainly help ease the cravings! Nutritional yeast, too, contains proteins and B vitamins to keep the cravings beast at bay. Best of health to you, Rose!

I am o type. I've been doing weightwatchers programme for 2.5 years. 2 yrs ago i gave up wheat & dairy within 3 days i didn't need my inhaler anymore. last year i did carol vordermans detox dietalongside the'w/w points' I felt good & decided to become a vegan. however since dec 2001 i feel i have been fighting a battle with my weight despite sticking to the diet & loads of exercise.

about 4 weeks ago i decided to try the o type diet. the first 2 weeks i just eliminated 1/2 tbsp a day of oats. i lost 3lbs. i decided to reintroduce fish & poultry 2 wks ago & yet to see a further weight loss. i do get an overgrowth of yeast of which i found oregano complex(biocare) helps. in the past i've had mysterious pains & rashes which the doctor can't explain but generally isn't interested in other than the usual antibiotics/antistamines/steroids. but i'm fed up with just treating the symptoms and prefer to treat the root cause.

even when i went to the doctors years ago when i kept being sick & having chest/stomach pains, he kept giving me some horrible white medicine. i had to beg for a barium meal. when the results came back as having got a duodenal ulcer & scars of having several previous, he was very surprised. when i asked him what i should do. he said 'find out what makes you sick and avoid it!' and that was that, that was easier said than done as at the time everything made me sick and i didn't know what to do.

one thing i do know now for sure is if i eat either icecream or cream even just a little bit then i am sick within 5 mins. however, i am such a 'windy' person & think i detect an improvement since doing o type diet. so hopefully other things may improve over time. i was hoping to find out my secretor status as i have a funny feeling i may be non secretor because of all my dental probs i've had over the years (or it may be due to a previous dodgy dentist!) However,i live in uk & can't find anything on website in this country to order from, despite sending message to the edgeware, middlesex clinic.

i hope you can help me to help myself by possibly sending me a website to order products from. Also if from my brief(?)resume of my medical history you could advise/enlighten me i'd be real grateful.

p.s i had been getting spotting between menstrual cycle,doctor thought it might be lack of oestrogen as body stores that in fat tissue and as i had lost 7 stone i thought it made sense at the time, but chose to take phytosterols and they worked straight away, however this month i had spotting and a nutritionist advise me to take an omega 3 & 6 supplement so the body can balance its own hormones itself which i've just started doing. but if you could give me advice to help sort my health probs out i'd be very grateful. thanking you in anticipation & if there's any further info you need (ie supplements that i'm taking) then please feel free to ask. once again thanks ~ debbie from england

Treating the root cause is a wise approach. This plan feeds your strength and avoids foods and activities that harm you ~~ in that way, your body's natural healing abilities are freed to work without impediment.

It sounds like your nutritionist is guiding you in the right direction. You might ask him or her about using Omegasentials or something similar. This page on the Minnesota Wellness Directory site contains a link and other information about the product, including a phone number, and discusses its formulation (which may be of help if you cannot obtain the product itself from the UK).

Your post did not mention exercise, and that would be all I would want to add to what you're doing already. Exercise helps the organs to clear themselves of toxins -- especially that largest organ, the skin. Drink plenty of pure water ~ as much as you are comfortable drinking between meals. Following the diet for your secretor status with the support of your nutritionist will resolve your troubles on the "cause" level. About supplements: discuss with the nutritionist the supplements on our site here ~ see if anything would be useful, but I would rather you make food your medicine for the long run!

Thank you for writing, debbie ~ you are on the right track, and now it's just a matter of "slow and steady wins the race." Take good care, dear!! You WILL make it, and I think you'll enjoy the process!

. Don't be intimidated by the military provenance. Their latest contribution to common-sense health is a brilliantly simple 11-minute exercise program which I believe everyone of any type or fitness level would do well to investigate.

Begin with their home page (linked above), them go to the first link on the upper left. Keep reading by clicking the tiny "next" links at the bottom of each of those pages. (I missed that the first time, and wondered where the info was to which a number of their other pages refer... :-}) Then continue with the Age Group Table for your fitness goals by age. Then look at Chart One and get going! :-D

They offer precise and thorough instructions for every aspect of their brief and do-able program. "The 5BX programme has been designed to bring physical fitness within the reach of any healthy person who is willing to devote 11 minutes a day to a simple but balanced set of exercises."

Gotta love that!

I might add, many of us rather unhealthy people would also do ourselves a big favor by adding this brief protocol to our days. :->

Sure! Best way to get flax meal is to buy the seeds and use a coffee or spice grinder to prepare small amounts of meal when you plan to eat it. The oil in the seeds goes rancid quickly, so this method is better than purchasing the meal pre-ground. Keeping your flax seeds, meal or oil in the fridge greatly extends their "fresh-life."

I belong to the B blood group and would like to lose some weight on the blood group diet. I don't understand why Tofu is to be avoided under blood group B and yet soya flour is acceptable. Would eating Tofu deter weight lose? Btw, Tofu is one of my favourite food - I eat Tofu 3 - 4 times a week. Must I totally avoid Tofu in order to lose weight? Edith

For weight loss, try to eat 100% beneficial foods and engage in B-type exercise and stress-relief practices. Tofu will only retard your progress and lead to discouraging results down the line.

If it will ease your pain a bit, remember that virtually all of us have bade fare-thee-well to at least one favorite food. I commiserate with you in the tofu and tempeh regard (love 'em both). I've lost chickpeas (hummus with sweet peppers! *sigh!*) buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup! oatmeal on cold mornings! fresh roasted sweet corn, corn bread with pancetta and hot peppers, gourmet purple popping corn! OH, don't get me started on the vasty wealth of brilliant cheeses from France and Ireland... and curried cabbage... brussels sprouts in quiche, potatoes in every form imaginable... chestnuts in December, sunflower seeds in July, fried plaintains with Haitian goat stew. Honeydew, just as it is. Apples cool in the breeze, blackberries warm from the bush. STRAWBERRIES. Other than that, I have no complaints. ~~;-D When you see the weight dropping and little surprise healthy "side-effects" showing up, your longing for tofu will fade as well. Hang in there, dear!

I live in Turkey-Istanbul. I am Blood A Rh+ and 33 years old female. I have still skin problem too much (acne)and I have gastrit problem and helico bacter. My doctor couldn't do anything about my problems. I would like to learn which supplement that I have to add my diet. Thank you very much for your helps and best regards, Ipek

Ipek, try to cut down on grains. See if you can find fish to replace any meat or fowl you eat. Fill up on as many green vegetables as you can get locally. Follow the A diet in Eat Right 4 Your Type and include yoga or meditation every day. For your skin, use Witch Hazel on it. Can you obtain the following: burdock tea, Holy Basil in capsules, Pantethine (not pantothenic acid), and vitamin A? Five or ten drops of Gentian tincture in warm water before meals will help with your stomach distress, and Linden tea and Asian (Panax) Ginseng can be added to get rid of the H. pylori infection. Two weeks should see a great improvement. Write back if you have any trouble recognizing these names.

I'm a French reader of your 3 books. My husband (A+) and I (O-) enjoy your blood diet method. Now, we want to be sure about our secretor status. How could I buy your test ? Do you have an european web site with price in euros or can I find it in a store, here, in France ? You know that french like food so we find a lot of good receip for our two blood type, how can I give you them ? Thank you for your answer, best regards. Valérie

Hallo, Valérie! You can order the secretor test from our friend Cocky who represents Stacktheme in Europe. Just email her at StackEurope ~ she'll take care of your needs. And if you would be so magnanimous as to send your recipes to me at helpinghand, I will be your friend for life. :-) My man (German) and I (Irish) have a little love affair with food, too. I'll post them into the Recipe Exchange so we all can enjoy them! Thank you!!

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, plans to offer an amendment in the House of Representatives today that would remove from an appropriations bill a new mandatory mental-health screening program for America's children.

"The American tradition of parents deciding what is best for their children is, yet again, under attack," writes Kent Snyder of the Paul-founded Liberty Committee. "The pharmaceutical industry has convinced President Bush to support mandatory mental-health screening for every child in America, including preschool children, and the industry is now working to convince Congress as well."

Critics of the plan say it is a thinly veiled attempt by drug companies to provide a wider market for high-priced antidepressants and antipsychotic medication, and puts government in areas of Americans' lives where it does not belong.

Writes Snyder: "The real payoff for the drug companies is the forced drugging of children that will result – as we learned tragically with Ritalin – even when parents refuse."

Paul's amendment to the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005 would take the new program out of the funding bill.

The congressman, who is known for his strict adherence to the Constitution, wrote in a letter to his colleagues: "As you know, psychotropic drugs are increasingly prescribed for children who show nothing more than children's typical rambunctious behavior. Many children have suffered harmful effects from these drugs. Yet some parents have even been charged with child abuse for refusing to drug their children. The federal government should not promote national mental-health screening programs that will force the use of these psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin."

The New Freedom Commission found that "despite their prevalence, mental disorders often go undiagnosed" and recommended comprehensive mental-health screening for "consumers of all ages," including preschool children.

The commission said, "Each year, young children are expelled from preschools and childcare facilities for severely disruptive behaviors and emotional disorders."

Schools, the panel concluded, are in a "key position" to screen the 52 million students and 6 million adults who work at the schools.

The state of Illinois has already approved its own mental-health screening program, the Children's Mental Health Act of 2003, which will provide screening for "all children ages 0-18" and "ensure appropriate and culturally relevant assessment of your children's social and emotional development with the use of standardized tools."

Members of the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership have held several public hearings on the program in recent months, hearing from parents and others who oppose the mandatory screening.

Karen R. Effrem, M.D., is a physician and leading opponent of mandatory screening. She is on the board of directors of EdWatch, an organization that actively opposes federal control of education.

"I am concerned, especially in the schools, that mental health could be used as a wedge for diagnosis based on attitudes, values, beliefs and political stances – things like perceived homophobia," Effrem told

WorldNetDaily.

"There are several violence-prevention programs that do say if a person is homophobic, they could be considered potentially violent."

Continued Effrem: "This mental-health program could be used as an enforcement tool to impose a very politically correct, anti-American curriculum."

Effrem emphasized the new program has no guarantees of parental rights, noting some children have died because parents were coerced to put their kids on psychiatric medications.

Snyder says the following groups have come out in opposition to the screening program: Eagle Forum, Gun Owners of America, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Concerned Women of America, Freedom 21, the Alliance for Human Research Protection, and the International Center

for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology.

A screening program in Paul's home state began nearly ten years ago. The Texas Medication Algorithm Project, or TMAP, was held up by the New Freedom Commission as a "model" medication treatment plan that "illustrates an evidence-based practice that results in better consumer outcomes."

The TMAP – started in 1995 as an alliance of individuals from the pharmaceutical industry, the University of Texas and the mental health and corrections systems of Texas – also was praised by the American Psychiatric Association, which called for increased funding to implement the overall plan.

But the Texas project sparked controversy when a Pennsylvania government employee revealed state officials with influence over the plan had received money and perks from drug companies who stand to gain from it.

Allen Jones, an employee of the Pennsylvania Office of the Inspector General says in his whistleblower report the "political/pharmaceutical alliance" that developed the Texas project, which promotes the use of newer, more expensive antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, was behind the recommendations of the New Freedom Commission, which were "poised to consolidate the TMAP effort into a comprehensive national policy to treat mental illness with expensive, patented medications of questionable benefit

and deadly side effects, and to force private insurers to pick up more of the tab."

Jones points out, according to a British Medical Journal report, companies that helped start the Texas project are major contributors to Bush's re-election. Also, some members of the New Freedom Commission have served on advisory boards for these same companies, while others have direct ties

Meeting Eric Small, shaking his hand and looking into his eyes, one would never know he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about 50 years ago.

Photographs in his yoga studio show him in complex poses, the kind that take years of study to perfect.

Small's almost lifelong dedication to yoga has given him the stamina, strength and confidence, he says, to live medication-free.

Now in his early 70s, he has symptoms of relapsing-remitting MS, including loss of vision, fatigue and occasional numbness. But he's also able to sustain a daily two-hour practice in addition to teaching -- most notably others with MS, even some who must use wheelchairs.

This yoga niche, called therapeutic yoga, is not limited to people with MS. Such therapy incorporates poses (asanas), breathing (pranayama) and meditation techniques to improve quality of life and manage symptoms of various diseases, chronic conditions and illnesses -- including asthma, back pain, fibromyalgia, depression and cancer.

Although conventional exercise -- walking, bicycling -- is recommended for many people with health problems, yoga goes a step further, its proponents say. The mind-body connection that yoga can create serves to heal the mind and spirit as well as the body.

In India, the roots of therapeutic yoga go back thousands of years, but the mainstream medical community in the United States has been slow to embrace it, considering the practice as little more than good exercise. Now researchers have studied its effects on carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma and heart disease, and health professionals have incorporated it into medical programs that offer other alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and massage therapy.

A study in 1998 showed that yoga, more than conventional treatment, helped reduce pain and improve hand strength for people with carpal tunnel syndrome. That same year, yoga was shown to be effective in improving the quality of life for people with asthma.

A study in the June issue of the journal Neurology showed that MS patients who practiced yoga for six months had significantly less fatigue than those who didn't practice it. Current studies are evaluating yoga's effectiveness in treating symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression and breast cancer.

Most yoga therapists and some physicians believe the benefits of yoga are in its ability to decrease stress, battle fatigue, and increase flexibility and muscle strength. But some believers claim that therapeutic yoga, sometimes done in conjunction with other alternative therapies, can actually cure diseases and conditions.

Although Small needs no convincing of therapeutic yoga's positive effects, he stops short of seeing it as more. "I don't ever proclaim that this is a cure," he says. He urges students to confer with their doctors before deciding to stop medications.

The six-month study on yoga's effect on MS patients' fatigue was done by doctors at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland last year. Co-author Dr. Dennis Bourdette says yoga was chosen because of its acceptance among MS patients; a survey of Oregonians with MS showed that 30 percent practiced yoga and 60 percent of those found it beneficial. The study also attempted to evaluate yoga's effect on cognitive function. No improvements were seen.

Bourdette believes more research is needed to determine whether yoga has therapeutic benefits: "Do I think that yoga as an isolated therapy for cancer is going to be curative? No. But I do see that it could be used for serious ailments as complementary therapy in addition to whatever the doctors have to offer in terms of medication."

As contributing medical editor for Yoga Journal magazine, Dr. Timothy McCall finds himself in the dual role of cheerleader for therapeutic yoga and skeptic about some claims.

"I firmly believe that yoga is strong medicine, but it's slow medicine," he says. "If you stick with it for years, it can be absolutely transformational. A skilled yoga teacher can look at someone with back pain and see how the failure in the way they use the muscles on the outside of their calf contributes to it."

Yet he's critical of yoga teachers and therapists who make what he believes are unsubstantiated claims.

Says McCall, "There are teachers who see that what they do works and are trying to legitimize it by coming up with scientific-sounding language to explain it."

Hi, Susan ~~ I'm kinda surprised your HFS folks had never heard of it, but hey! here's a chance to contribute to their education. :-) Here is one source for Triphala, a combination of Amla (Indian Gooseberry), Beleric Myrobalan (fruit from the Bihara tree) and Chebulic Myrobalan (the fruit from another Indian tree, Harada). Scroll down to the grey box entitled "The Amazing Ancient Triphala" and read all about it. It's a great page to print out for your HFS manager's reference.

Dear Heidi, After being on the program 4 years, I still have questions. The HB fruits for A's like blueberries etc. are all heavily sprayed. Should one take their chances with sprayed fruit or only eat organic fruit in season. The frozen organic fruit has problems of its own with polyamines, but I have resorted to eating it instead of the pesticides. Same goes for veggies. What is the best answer here. The value of HB's versus organic? Some of these vegetables like Kale are hard to get locally that are organic. Marilyn

Hello, dear! Questions mean you're thinking and working your plan, every day. The longer we keep doing that, the better! There are a couple of issues here vís-a-vís fruit. Here I go out on a limb: if your ancestry can be traced pretty much to one area of the world, use that climate as your guide to seasonal consumption of fruit. In the case of type A cancer survivors like yourself, it is ALWAYS preferable to eat frozen fruit or vegetables over eating pesticide-polluted food. On the other hand, rather than fish or meat frozen by flash-freezing, it is preferable to use canned wild fish and free-range meat products. HB v. organic? Same answer. Don't eat pesticides. "Organic" means you won't be eating genetically-modified foods, either, which are No Good for anybody. Choose the cleanest food you can find, and scour your locality for local growers and farmers' markets. :-)

My mother & I are currently starting the Cook Right 4 Your Type diet and at the moment seem to be doing OK. My mother likes to have a tipple of Australian sherry which has a small amount of Brandy in now & again. She's Blood Type AB and wondered if she could still have her 'tipple' By the way, we've only been doing this diet 2 weeks & already we've found that we have more energy and we've both lost a couple of pounds. We thought we were eating correctly anyway, but having read Eat 4 Your Type, we were shocked to find that we'd probably been eating too much chicken and for me, been Blood Type B, too many Ryvitas! Hope you can help and I look forward to hearing from you. Lorraine

One of my missions in life is to never get in the way of anyone's tipple. :-) I wouldn't worry a bit about the occasional consumption of a favorite cocktail. I ask you: how much time are we vouchsafed upon this earth? Can't tell you how many of my correspondents enjoy their particular nip well into their 90s and 100s. You're on the good road with your diet now. Be sure to check into the TYPEbase3 database now and again for the latest food values. Enjoy!!

My wife is a type AB and I need to know what food groups that she should avoid and what food groups that she should eat more off. She has been trying to loose weight for years and has very little success. Sam

Sam, I suggest getting the Food & Supplement Lists from this site. We don't have them online as such, but if you have a question about a specific food, just consult the TYPEbase3 database. You'll have great success!

I am an A and getting good results though I suspect will get better as I get more stringent. Where is chickpea classified? It is a common bean here in Australia - Thanks, Kerri-Emerald

Kerri, chickpea is noted as "garbanzo bean" in BTD. In Live Right, we've used both terms. It's an avoid for everyone except O secretors, so try black beans or black-eyed peas instead. :-)

a friend told me that he had lost allot of weight and i asked him how and he gave me your web address, but i dont understand how it works or what it consists of. i would like further infomation about it. thank you bobby

Bobby, just go out to your local bookstore and look for the Food & Supplement Lists for your & your wife's type. They're available right here on this site, too -- just see the links to the left. It will give you both a new lease on life!

I am AB-, take thyroxin (had a total thyroidectomy but it has re-grown) and asthma preventative medication, am lactose intolerant, have arthritis and take Celebrex, and am on an immunology program for allergies (sinusitus). From what I read about my blood type it would appear my body is not behaving typically as AB-ve. What foods should I avoid apart from dairy foods? Thank you for reading this question. Regards Diana

Other than dairy foods, there is no other particular food to add to your AB avoid list for the time being, with the possible exception of all wheat products. If you eliminate all grains and dairy for a month then add them singly, one per day, you should be able to pinpoint anything which flares your allergies, increases mucus, or exacerbates joint pain. Have you considered taking Deflect-AB? The drugs may well be getting in the way of your healing, but seek out a trustworthy practitioner if you decide to discontinue them. Our practitioner database, on our homepage, has a current listing. Once your diet is on target for a few months, you may find your lactose intolerance (and grain sensitivity, if present) slowly alleviates. And congratulations on regrowing your thyroid, that's quite an accomplishment!!! Although your doctors may be a tad nonplussed, you won't regret it. :-)

Heidi, I need a personal reply regarding the jerky recipe you posted. Is it really 2 Tbs. of salt and 1 Tbs. of ginger powder, or should it be tsp. instead? I want to make some tomorrow. Thank you for your time! I DO enjoy your column. Mary Dee

Hi, Mary Dee ~ Yep, tablespoons. Sorry you waited over a month for your answer! Sheesh, I apologize... well... I'll just work harder and do better next time! (hope that meat's still good!) :-}

I am a type A non-secretor. Is it true that I can eat tomatos without worry? Also, what about sheeps milk cheese. There are many of these on the Irish market tho' I know I can only eat a little cheese. I know about Feta but these are more "cheddery". Also, what is suitable as a higher protein breakfast in order to loose weight? Thank you. Tina, from Ireland.

Folks, Tina takes the prize for patience. She first posted questions in May (without reply, MEA CULPA), and during the interim she sought out and found the secretor test, and discovered she's a nonsecretor. Good going, girl! And... Thanks for not blasting me about the delay in this answer! :-} Yes, tomatoes are perfectly fine for you -- my type A man was greatly relieved to get his nonsecretor status, believe me, tomatoes were a big part of the celebration. Feta should not be cheddary at all, it's white, crumbly, dense and salty. In general, monitor your own reactions to unlisted cheeses: if you start clearing your throat after eating it, or notice a white-coated tongue in the morning, that particular cheese isn't good for you. To lose weight, eat your nice big Irish breakfast in the morning, but no pork -- use anything else for sausage, maybe turkey, chicken, lamb or wild game. Not sure what to substitute for blood puddings, but use your evident imagination to find a good alternative. :-D Don't forget those lovely fresh eggs, fill up! Have a good dinner and a small supper. Drink lots of that beautiful Irish water between meals. Get out and walk, do yoga, socialize within your comfort levels, engage in any activity which makes you feel peaceful and happy. Your weight will normalize.

People! If you find your question wasn't answered, or you can't make out what the heck I'm talking about when I DO answer your question, write again! We'll get it sorted out, never fear! And thanks to ALL who write. This is how we all learn, me most of all. Blessings, and enjoy your day!

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Shea, for this special occasion, a little reg'ler cake will do most folks no harm... but if you'd truly prefer a BTD-compliant wedding cake, let's give it a shot! I do hope this column "hits the air" in time to be of some help to you. :-D

Depending on your tolerance of grain, sugar and dairy, whether the cake will be homemade or ordered from a baker, and the size of your guest list, there are a number of options to consider.

(1) White spelt is an excellent substitute for the wheat flour used in cake recipes. If your organic grocer doesn't carry organic white spelt flour, it can be obtained through the Purity Foods or Frankferd Farms sites, for example. It is an avoid for nonsecretor Os, but if you "test-drive" some spelt bread before deciding on your wedding cake recipe, you'll know if it'll pass muster for you on this one occasion. We don't want the bride doubled over due to the wrong cake grain!! There are spelt cake recipes galore on the Internet and in cookbooks too numerous to list here, so if you can enlist the cooperation of the baker, you're set!

(2) Eggwhite-based batter is another way to get round the wheat problem. Many commercial bakers will make a genoise, or "flourless" cake for you. Because these cakes are softer, moister and of a more delicate texture, it may affect your original design -- wider than tall may be necessary in order to avert collapse! Nut flours (almond, walnut, hazelnut) take two minutes to make in a blender, and are great additions to genoises for the "stand-up" texture they confer, but if your guest list is too large to ascertain whether any person may be allergic to nuts, it may be better to use another method rather than risk a case of anaphylactic shock at the reception. :-} As with spelt, there are scads of flourless cake recipes on the Net, and in a multitude of cookbooks. Browse, pick & choose as your heart desires.

(3) If you'd like an alternative to sugar, consider vegetable glycerine, a remarkable, lectin-free liquid sweetener made from coconuts. Get this: it actively stabilizes blood sugar levels rather than bouncing them around as refined sugar does. It's magic in baked goods -- tastes like sugar, no odd or overpowering flavor or aftertaste like stevia or molasses, and adds loft and moisture. NOW and Heritage are two brands which come to mind. Your health food store may carry one or both, and in any case they can order some for you. At the moment, Harvest Moon has the 16 oz. NOW product on sale. :-D

(4) Buttercream frosting can be made with butter or ghee, sugar or veg gly, and your chosen flavorings (almond, lemon... vanilla is neutral for O secretors now, by the way!). Glaze is a snap with veg gly as the base.

"Sucrose" is the two-molecule simple sugar that we know as... well, as "sugar." :-) It is present in many whole foods along with its companion elements. The immense quantities of refined varieties of sugar in the average American diet are contributors to type II diabetes, immune dysfunctions, and a load of other ailments. No lectin is involved -- it's rather a metabolic tolerance issue. But again, most people deal with small amounts without adverse result. Let your own body be your guide. :-)

Fruit is best eaten alone, on an empty stomach. When eaten with other items, grains in particular, it tends to push its way to first-in-line in the digestive queue. That said, many people have no trouble with fruit/meat combinations in meals, and some enjoy fruit/grain/dairy desserts without complaint. Test your own reactions eating it with or after foods of various kinds, and look for discomfort or gas -- if present, you may be better off including it as your day-starter.

I wish you all the best, and truly hope these notes will contribute to a very happy and healthy wedding day for you and your husband ~ and many joyful years to follow! Good Luck!!

I love this one size DOESN'T fit all diet. I have been doing the A+ blood type diet for just over four years now and am so thankful to be feeling better and doing better.

I went probably 5 or 6 years getting abnormal paps. My last two were normal. I have ALWAYS had problems with digestion--from grade school on. Lots of heart burn and constipation starting from the 4th or 5th grade at least. And to this day, have a problem with bad breath and strong offensive orders when I go to the bathroom, but no more constipation or heartburn.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO to correct these current and on-going problems? And what tests might be good preventative measures? (I did go off my diet on Labor Day and enjoyed two helpings of potato salad. I had heartburn so bad that night that I began to be concerned--and then I remembered what I had done. Before the blood type diet I ALWAYS had terrible heartburn and had "learned to live with it". I certainly believe that your information is saving/prolonging and enhancing my life.)

Two years ago I had a 10-times enlarged parathyroid removed--high calcium in the blood. The surgeon said that I more than likely had the problem for many, many, many, years. I am now 55 years old and have also been taking natural hormones for five years. I take your Phytocal A now, have started walking again 30 minutes every day (quit just before the surgery because I was so exhausted all the time), and will be ordering your snail product this next week.

I recently sent off your secretor test after I found out that I had gone into the osteoporosis level. I just got the results back a few days ago and am a non-secretor. I noticed that the soy foods are neutral for non-secretor A's. Does that mean that A's that are non-secretors don't have such a sigificant challenge with female cancers? Or is there less protection for us?

I LOVE the tier one and two. I try to do as many tier one beneficials as possible. Under the Neutral/General section for fish for the non-secretor, can you tell me which beneficial fish would be on the tier one list? Also is sugar on the tier one or two for non-secretors? Again, am so thankful for such great research in such an easy to read format that is so basic and gives each person a hands-on in our own health care. I had encouraged my sister who's O+ and has fibromyalgia to use your program and was really happy for her that she is doing just that. One of my brothers does Jinsinjitsu healing and also goes by your work. Other friends and family members are being helped as well. Can't thank you enough! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!! I appologize for taking so much time to "get to the point" and want to thank you SO much for taking your time to read this AND to give me your input!! Sincerely, Diana!

DEAR Diana ~ You are so very kind. I can't take credit for the books, which I didn't write (Peter and Catherine will hear your praises!) but I personally truly appreciate your message, and I'm blessed by your spirit and great good humor! thanks, dear! ~:-)

First, I expect you will find that following the nonsecretor diet will eliminate the bad breath and digestive odors. However, some digestive aids may speed the process: gentian extract, taken as directed on the bottle (1/2 hour before a meal), or pineapple (whole or the juice) 1/2 hour before a meal. You won't have to take them forever, but try to do so for a month or two before any meal containing protein (vegetal or animal). For now, I wouldn't suggest any medical tests; you can resolve this on your own. Be sure to maintain a regular schedule of meals, yoga or meditation, and mild outdoor exercise -- and get a couple of glasses of good water between meals. The odors you notice indicate there is some toxicity being thrown off by your system, so the changes in diet and continuing beneficial activity are the keys for you.

Second, re soy and the A nonsecretor diet: Soy presents a great quandary for type A nonsecretors and type B women with a history of cancer. Why? Because just about EVERYWHERE in the alternative medical news, women are told to eat soy for cancer prevention. That's the one-size-fits-all version. Thanks to Peter, we're free of that paradigm. In our specific understanding of these effects, the phytoestrogens in soy are not the near-magic-bullet for you that they are for type A secretors. Instead, get to know intimately your individually-designed nonsecretor diet. It will do for you what needs to be done to maintain and enhance all aspects of your health.

Finally, regarding the Tiers System: it applies to secretors, not to us. As you've noticed in reading through the food list, nonsecretor food values vary within the tiers, so that some of your beneficials and some of your avoids appear in the Neutral Tier. Some of your neutrals appear in Tier I or II, which are designed along the secretor Beneficial and Avoid lines. In short: we're special. Take note of the values listed for Nonsecretors: that's our Tier. The Nonsecretor Tier, if you like. It overrides all other factors, and is ideal for our needs.

Thank you for the heartening news of your family, and I hope you continue to enjoy the great benefits of this plan. Keep in touch, and thanks again, Diana!